A tragic incident unfolded in Ghatkopar on Monday afternoon, where a 13-year-old boy allegedly died by suicide by hanging himself from the loft of his residence. Following the incident, Pant Nagar Police have registered a case of abetment to suicide against a woman named Sandhya Umesh Sonawane.
According to the police, the boy’s mother alleged in her statement that Sandhya Sonawane mentally harassed her son and issued threats, which pushed him to take the extreme step. The investigation is underway, and while a case has been registered, no arrests have been made yet.
The complainant, a 40-year-old woman, lives with her husband and three children in the Ghatkopar area. Her son, Shivam, was 13 years old. The woman works as a labourer with her husband, while their elder son, aged 17, is employed as an electrician. Sandhya Sonawane is a resident of the same locality.
Earlier, Sonawane had accused Shivam of setting fire to a school bus belonging to her sister and had collected compensation for the same. On Monday afternoon, at around 1 PM, when Shivam was alone at home, Sonawane reportedly visited their house again and accused him of damaging her vehicles. She allegedly threatened the boy, saying she would make him pay for the damage and would “deal with him.”
Shivam was reportedly terrified after the encounter. Around 1:30 PM, he went to the loft inside their house. His mother assumed he was going to take a nap and got back to her work. A while later, Shivam’s sister went up to the loft to charge her phone and was shocked to find him hanging from a ceiling angle, using her saree.
Upon hearing her daughter’s screams, the mother rushed to the spot and was devastated to find her son in that condition. Local residents quickly took Shivam to Rajawadi Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Pant Nagar Police reached the spot upon receiving information and recorded the mother's statement, which revealed the sequence of events. Based on her complaint, the police registered a case against Sandhya Sonawane under charges of mental harassment, issuing threats, and abetment to suicide.
The police have confirmed that investigations are ongoing and further action will be taken based on the evidence gathered.